Pattern controlled programming mechanism



P 17, 1963 J. E. MARSHALL 3,104,346

PATTERN CONTROLLED PROGRAMMING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 5, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Se t. 17, 1963 J. E. MARSHALL ,1

PATTERN CONTROLLED PROGRAMMING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-sheaf 2 Filed Feb. 5, 19 60 The invention relates to a pattern controlled programming mechanism for controlling a relay and is particularly concerned with controlling a relay in synchronism with a cyclically-operable machine and also in response to a movable patterned control element.

According to the invention a pattern controlled programming mechanism for controlling a relay in synchronism with a cyclically-operable machine and also in response to a movable pattern controlled element, comprises control means, for the relay, responsive to the interruption or the passage of light from a lamp or other light source by a film having dark and light regions thereon or perforated opaque tape and also responsive to a signal generated in synchronism with the cylical operation of the machine.

Preferably the control means for the relay is electrical and comprises a diiieren-tial amplifier, including a light sensitive device arranged to receive light from the lamp or other light source under the control of the film or perforated opaque tape; a bi-stable circuit, arranged to be operated, through either of two AND gates, simultaneously by the difierential amplifier and by a pulse, gene-rated in synchronism 'with the cyclical operation of the machine; and a driving amplifier for the relay, the driving amplifier being operable by the bi-stable circuit. I The electrical control means conveniently includes transistors. The light sensitive device may be a phototransistor.

The invention is particularly envisaged as applicable to a warp-knitting machine in which there is a plurality of relays, arranged to control a guide-bar or guide-bars, to determine a pattern to be imparted to a cloth being manufiactured on the warp-knitting machine, the pulse being produced in response to the cyclical operation of the warp knitting machine.

Other applications of the invention may be, for example, the remote control of gear boxes or mechanical hopper systems, or any relay-operable valves.

By way of example, the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a control box to be attached to a Warp-knitting machine; and

FIGURE 2 shows the electrical circuit for controlling each actuating member of a bank of actuating members shown in FIGURE 1.

Referring firstly to FIGURE 1, the control box includes an endless opaque tape 1, constituting said movable patterned control element and which is punched with holes,

pre-arranged in a number of channels, extending longitudinal-ly ot the tape, in accordance with the pattern to be imparted by the warp-knitting machine. The tape 1 is carried between a lamp 2 and a block 4 of phototransisters, each connected to a circuit, as described hereinafiter with reference to FIGURE 2. There is one circuit for each channel of holes punched in the tape. The tape is mounted on pulleys Sand is driven by a sprocket wheel 6 rotatable by a rotary shaft of the machine. The control box is attached to the machine by means of lugs and brackets 3.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, each electrical circuit inclu'des a photo-transistor 7, which is one of those held in the block 4 shown in FIGURE 1. The base of the photo- 3,104,346 Patented Sept. 17, 1963 transistor 7 is left as an open circuit and the collector is taken directly to an earthed conductor 8. Two resistors 9 and 10 are connected in series between a positive condoctor 47 and the emitter of the photo-transistor 7. The junction between the resistors 9 and it is connected to the base of a transistor 11. Resistors 12 and 13 are connected between the collector of transistor 11 and the earthed conductor 8. A second transistor 14 has its emitter connected to the emitter of transistor 11 and also connected to the positive conductor 47 through a resistor 15. The collector of transistor 14 is connected to the earthed conductor 8 through resistors 16 and 17. Resistors 18 and 19 are connected in series between the earthed and positive conductors. The junction of the resistors 18 and 19 is connected to the base of the transistor 14. The part of the circuit which has just been described is referred to herein as a saturated differential amplifier.

The shaft of the warp-knitting machine which drives the sprocket 6 in FIGURE 1 is applied to a pair of contacts 48. Condensers 2i) and 21 are connected to the contacts 48, so that the sense of the pulse applied to the condensers 20 and 21 is positive, and to the junction between the resistors 12 and 13, connected to the transistor 11 and to the junction of the resistors 16 and 17, connected to the transistor 14, respectively. The anode of a diode 22 is connected to the junction between the condenser 20 and the resistors 12 and 13 and the anode of a similar diode 23 is connected to the junction between the condenser 21 and the resistors 16 and 17. The cathodes of the diodes 22 and 23 are taken to the bases of transistors 25 and 24 respectively. The condenser 20 and the diode 22 and the condenser 21 and the diode 23 each form an AND gate.

The emitters of transistors 24 and 25 are connected to a resistor 26 which is connected to the positive conductor 47. Resistors 27 and 28 are connected between the collectors of transistors 24 and 25 and the earthed conductor 8 respectively. Resistors 29 and 30 are connected between the collectors of transistors 24 and 25 and the bases of transistors 25 and 24 respectively. Resistors 31 and 3-2 are connected between the bases of the transistors 24 and 25 and the positive conductor 47. A resistor 33 is connected between the earth conductor 8 and the emitters of transistors 24 and 25. The part of the circuit which has just been described, including the transistors 24 and 25, will be referred to as a bi-stable circuit.

The base of a further transistor 35 is connected to the collector of transistor 25. The collector of transistor 35 is connected to the earthed conductor 8. The emitter of the transistor 35 is connected to the positive conductor 47 by a resistor 34. The part of the circuit including the transistor 35 forms an emitter follower or butter stage."

W The emitter of transistor 35 is also connected through series resistors 36 and 37 to a negative conductor 49. The junction of resistors 36 and 37 is connected to the base of a transistor 39 via a resistor 38. A resistor 40 connects the collector of transistor 39 to the negative condoctor 49. The emitter of transistor 39 is connected to the base of a transistor 41. The emitter of transistor 41 is connected to the earthed conductor 8. The collector of transistor 41 is connected to the negative conductor 49 via a diode 42 and a resistor 43' in series. The cathode of the diode 42 is connected to the collector of the transistor 41, which is connected in series with a solenoid 44 of a relay, arranged to actuate a guide-bar of the warp-knitting machine, and a resistor 45. A condenser 46 is connected between the earthed conductor 8 and the junction of the resistor 45 and the solenoid 44. The resistor 45 is connected to the negative conductor 49. The part of the circuit which has just been described, in-

3 clud-ing the transistors 39 land 41, is referred to herein as the relay driving amplifier.

The operation of the circuit wiH now be described. When a hole in the opaque tape 1 appears between the lamp 2 and a photo-transistor 7, a voltage change results in the transistor '11. This change appears amplified and inverted on the collector of transistor 11 and it appears amplified but not inverted on the collector of transistor 14. If no synchronising pulse occurs at the contacts 48, the voltage changes in the transistors 11 and 14 will leave the bi-stable circuit and the following stages unaffected. If a synchronising pulse occurs at the contacts 48, i.e., across the condensers 20 and 21 of the AND gates,

voltage-s will be produced at the base of the transistors 24 and 25 of the bi-stable circuit. Thiswill result in the transistor 25 being cut off due to the presence of the hole allowing light to pass through the tape from the lamp 2 to the photo-transistor 7. On movement of the tape to interrupt the passage of light from the lamp 2 to the photo-transistor 7, the transistor 24 will be cut off, when a pulse also occurs at the contacts 43. In other words, when a pulse occurs at the contacts 48, the transistors '11 land 24 operate similarly and the transistors 14 and 25 operate similarly. As the transistors of the bistable circuit will operate only when a pulse occurs at the contacts 48, the circuit responds only at required intervals to the pattern of the holes in the opaque tape.

The voltage at the base of transistor 41 in the relay driving amplifier is in phase with the voltage at the collector of transistor 25. When the transistor 25 conducts, the transistor 41 will be cut off and when the transistor 25 is cut off, the transistor 41 will conduct fully. In this way, with the occurrence of a synchronising pulse at the contacts 48, the state of operation of the transistor 41 will correspond to the absence or presence of a hole in the opaque tape 1. The collector current of the transistor 41 energises the relay 44 which operates the actuating member. a

The bi-stab'le circuit, comprising the transistors 24 and 25 and the resistors 26 to 33, also acts as a memory device and its state represents the information, i.e., hole or no hole in the opaque tape, when the last synchronising pulse occurred. The state of this device is maintained.

until the further synchronising pulse occurs at the contacts 48. The bi-stable circuit will also retain its state after the negative conductor 49 has been disconnected from the power supply. This is useful, as it enables the relay driving amplifier, which is the part of the circuit drawing the most power from the electrical supply, to be disconnected, while the bi-stable circuit still maintains its same state. One push-button for each channel, enabling all electrical supplies to be disconnected, may be provided so that each bi-stable circuit can be triggered into the correct state, determined by visual examination of the opaque tape.

The presence of the transistor 35 acts as a buffer and prevents interaction between the relay driving amplifier,

and the bi-st-able circuit.

Each photo-transistor 7 and its associated circuit, as shown in FIGURE 2, controls one electro-rnechanical .or electro-hydraulic relay or other electrically actuated, fluid operable relay. The number of relays is equal to the number of channels in a tape. The relays are arranged to actuate la guide-bar of the warp-knitting machine; the guide-bar being common to all channels of the tape. Such a machine usually has two or more guidebars, the positions of which determine the pattern to be imparted to a cloth. being manufactured on the warpknit-ting machine. One or more guide-bars may be controlled by a tape and are operated each time the synchronising pulse occurs, in accordance with the hole or no hole information recorded on the opaque tape.

7 Instead of using an opaque tape, the movable pat- Although the circuit described includes transistors,

terned control element may be a film having dark and light regions.

sistors are simplicity of voltage supply and manufacture of the circuits and the safety of operation. Furthermore, the circuit could be used safely in an explosive atmosphere, when suitably encased.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a cyclically-operable machine, a pattern controlled programming mechanism comprising a light source; a movable patterned control element; a light-sensitive electrical device, arranged to receive light from said source under the control of said element, means for moving said element between said light source and said device, means capable of generating electrical pulses in synchronism with the cyclical operation of said machine; a differential amplifier, including a pair of alternatively-operable amplifying means, of which one is operable when said element permits maximum transmission of light between said source and said device and of which the other is operable when said element permits minimum transmission of light between said source and said device; a pair of AND gates each having input and output connections, the input connections of one of said gates being connected to said pulse generating means and to one of said amplifying means and the input connections of the other of said gates being connected to said pulse generating means and to the other of said amplyfying means; a bistable circuit connected to said output connections of each of said AND gates, thereby to be operated alternatively through said gates in accordancewith simultaneous reception thereby of a pulse from said generator and a signal from said differential amplifier; a driving amplifier connected to said bi-stable circuit for operation thereby; an output relay including a solenoid connected to said driving amplifier for operation thereby, and a source of electrical power for said differential amplifier, AND gates, bi-stable circuit, driving amplifier and solenoid.

' 2. In a cyclically-operable machine, a pattern controlled programming mechanism comprising a light source; a movable patterned control element; a phototransistor, arranged to receive light from said source under the control of said element, means for moving said element between said light source and said photo-transistor, means capable of generating electrical pulses in synchronism 'with the cyclical operation of said machine; a differential including a pair of alternatively-operable amplifying means, of which one is operable when said element permits maximum transmission of light between said source and said photo-transistor and of which the other is operable when said element permits minimum transmission of light between said source and said phototransistor; a pair of AND gates each having input and output connections, the input connections of one of said gates being connected to said pulse generating means and to one of said amplifying means and the input connections of the other of said gates being connected to said pulse generating means and to the other of said amplifying means; a bi-stable circuit connected to said output connections of each of said AND gates, thereby to be operated alternatively through said gates in accordance with simultaneous reception thereby of a pulse from said generator and a signal from said differential amplifier; a driving amplifier connected to said bi-stable circuit for operation thereby; an output relay including a solenoid connected to said driving amplifier for operation thereby, and a source of electrical power for said differential amplifier, AND gates, bi-stable circuit, driving amplifier and solenoid, each said amplifying means, said bi-stable circuit and said driving amplifier including at least one transistor.

3. In a cyclically-operable machine, a pattern controlled programming mechanism comprising a light source; a movable patterned control element; a photo-transistor, arranged to receive-light from said source under the control of said element, means for moving said element between said light source and said photo-transistor, means capable of generating electrical pulses in synchronism with the cyclical operation of said machine; a differential amplifier, including a pair of alternatively-operable amplifying means, of which one is operable when said element permits maximum transmission of light between said source and said photo-transistor and of which the other is operable when said element permits minimum transmission of light between said source and said phototransistor; a pair of AND gates each having input and output connections, the input connections of one of said gates being connected to said pulse generating means and to one of said amplifying means and the input connections of the other of said gates being connected to said pulse generating means and to the other of said amplifying means; a bi-stable circuit connected to said input connections of each of said AND gates, thereby to be operated alternatively through said gates in accordance with simultaneous reception thereby of a pulse from said generator and a signal from said differential amplifier; a buffer stage connected to said bi-stable circuit for operat-ion thereby; a driving amplifier connected to said buffer stage for operation thereby; an output relay including a solenoid connected to said driving amplifier for operation thereby, and a source of electrical power for said differential amplifier, AND gates, bi-stable circuit, buffer stage, driving amplifier land solenoid, each said amplifying means, said bi-stable circuit, said bulfer stage and said driving amplifier each including at least one transistor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,922,940 Mergler Jan. 26, 1960 2,981,296 Paul et al Apr. 25, 1961 3,041,477 Budts et al. June 26, 1962 

1. IN A CYCLICALLY-OPERABLE MACHINE, A PATTERN CONTROLLED PROGRAMMING MECHANISM COMPRISING A LIGHT SOURCE; A MOVABLE PATTERNED CONTROL ELEMENT; A LIGHT-SENSITIVE ELECTRICAL DEVICE, ARRANGED TO RECEIVE LIGHT FROM SAID SOURCE UNDER THE CONTROL OF SAID ELEMENT, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID ELEMENT BETWEEN SAID LIGHT SOURCE AND SAID DEVICE, MEANS CAPABLE OF GENERATING ELECTRICAL PULSES IN SYNCHRONISM WITH THE CYCLICAL OPERATION OF SAID MACHINE; A DIFFERENTIAL AMPLIFIER, INCLUDING A PAIR OF ALTERNATIVELY-OPERABLE AMPLIFYING MEANS, OF WHICH ONE IS OPERABLE WHEN SAID ELEMENT PERMITS MAXIMUM TRANSMISSION OF LIGHT BETWEEN SAID SOURCE AND SAID DEVICE AND OF WHICH THE OTHER IS OPERABLE WHEN SAID ELEMENT PERMITS MINIMUM TRANSMISSION OF LIGHT BETWEEN SAID SOURCE AND SAID DEVICE; A PAIR OF AND GATES EACH HAVING INPUT AND OUTPUT CONNECTIONS, THE INPUT CONNECTIONS OF ONE OF SAID GATES BEING CONNECTED TO SAID PULSE GENERATING MEANS AND TO ONE OF SAID AMPLIFYING MEANS AND THE INPUT CONNECTIONS OF THE OTHER OF SAID GATES BEING CONNECTED TO SAID PULSE GENERATING MEANS AND TO THE OTHER OF SAID AMPLYFYING MEANS; A BISTABLE CIRCUIT CONNECTED TO SAID OUTPUT CONNECTIONS OF EACH OF SAID AND GATES, THEREBY TO BE OPERATED ALTERNATIVELY THROUGH SAID GATES IN ACCORDANCE WITH SIMULTANEOUS RECEPTION THEREBY OF A PULSE FROM SAID GENERATOR AND A SIGNAL FROM SAID DIFFERENTIAL AMPLIFIER; A DRIVING AMPLIFIER CONNECTED TO SAID BI-STABLE CIRCUIT FOR OPERATION THEREBY; AN OUTPUT RELAY INCLUDING A SOLENOID CONNECTED TO SAID DRIVING AMPLIFIER FOR OPERATION THEREBY, AND A SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL POWER FOR SAID DIFFERENTIAL AMPLIFIER, AND GATES, BI-STABLE CIRCUIT, DRIVING AMPLIFIER AND SOLENOID. 